AstroCast: July 31 – August 6, 2017

Posted on July 30, 2017Posted by Kimberly Maxwell

“Don’t get addicted to being human. This is only temporary.” – Robert Monroe

Uranus, the planet that rules the development of individuality and uniqueness, turns retrograde on August 2nd. Hanging in the sky at 29° Aries over the past couple of months, the Uranus archetype of chaos and disruption has been quite potent. We’ve witnessed major upheavals in the U.S. and abroad, including controversial staff changes under the Trump administration, radical attempts in the U.S. Congress to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and provocative missile tests by North Korea. In an exact trine to the degree of the August 21st total solar eclipse at 29° Leo, the Uranus station may correlate to an escalation of shocks in these areas in the coming weeks. Uranus will move less than a degree into through late September, but rather than focus on rapidly unfolding earthbound shake-ups, we could take this opportunity to internalize the Uranian force and review what changes in our thinking processes, or programming, can lead to a new way of being.

Jim Sher said in a lecture this past weekend that “Uranus represents a call to experience a paradigm shift into new territory.” According to Sher, we can choose to initiate this process by seeing programming as “the mental structure of a person or society that acts as the prominent lens through which we see the world, which is regarded as true simply because it has been true for so long.” Sher says the processes associated with Uranus are fundamentally different from those ascribed to Sun through Saturn, the bodies in our solar system dealing with the successful navigation of life using “proven” methods that have been part of astrology for millennia. Uranus asks us to inquire into how we perceive the world. The implication of that takes us out of the ordinary way of thinking and subsequently how we live. It is a moving away from blind obedience to one’s programming, including the beliefs and norms of society.” The fundamental Uranian question is “Who is the authority?” Once we start that line of inquiry and learn how to live in a state of uncertainty we can then see we are capable of playing in a much bigger game or field than what we are aware of.”

The Sabian symbol for 29° Aries emphasizes the Uranian call: “The Music of the Spheres – Attunement to cosmic order… TO LISTEN TO THE INNER VOICE… It is the Voice of the Whole, of which one begins to realize that one is a tiny little part – yet a significant part, for every note of the universal Chord has its place and its ineradicable meaning.” (An Astrological Mandala by Dane Rudhyar). “We need to validate the experience we’re having,” says Sher, “live the life we’re living rather than striving to be something we’re not. After mastering the material demands of life we have the solid base from which we can take off and come out of the Sun through Saturn box.”

Supporting the process of revealing hidden programming, Jupiter in Libra squares Pluto in Capricorn on August 4th. This is the third exact of this formidable planetary pair aspect over nine months correlating to the expansion of hidden forces to the point they emerge into conscious awareness. Considering the signs involved, it could have something to do with a business (Capricorn) relationship (Libra) where undermining behavior may now be seen, or a vast reserve of resources made available to move a project forward (I personally know of both instances occurring at this time). On the political front we may see how Trump, according The Nation, is “both potentially useful and inherently unstable, simultaneously a product and target of the deep state.” Internally, however, this is a significant opportunity to tap into the Jupiter/Pluto archetype of big power to further our Uranian query into personal programming so we can see what beliefs (Jupiter) are operating at the deepest levels of our psyche (Pluto).

On July 31st, Venus leaves intellectual Gemini for sensitive Cancer where we may become attuned to relations with our chosen tribe. Motivated by a protective impulse, Venus here asks: How can I nurture loved ones and make them feel safe so they may flourish? A nesting instinct may prevail or a desire to socialize with those who have shared deep roots. Venus in Cancer feels most at home developing soul connections with others. But that requires knowing the soul, so taking care to create a safe and secure personal base leads to knowing we can always find our way home from deep exploration into internal programming. To do so, in the words of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum (born with Sun conjunct Uranus), just “close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, ‘There’s no place like home’.”

Here’s the data (Pacific Time and rounded to the nearest whole degree unless otherwise noted):

A student of the Sher Institute since 2008, Kimberly has been writing AstroCast since 2012. A long-time Los Angeles resident, Kimberly gives astrological consultations, has various artistic pursuits including the development of a burgeoning creative hub in her community, and works in international television distribution at a major studio.

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